Hideous Wal-Mart TV Ad Creature: Gingey

I love TV and I love TV advertising and I love most of you and for some time I figured I'd love to discuss TV ads with some of you in "Beyond Tiki".* Unfortunately I have come not to praise TV ads but to vent and freak out over this new Wal-Mart toy department ad featuring a horrible little gingerbread person named "Gingey" (or something equally imaginitive). Wal-Mart ads are never interesting or creative (maybe they want the ads to reflect their products), but what makes this one stand out is the awful voice characterization for "Gingey"...It sort of sounds like a 2 pack a day 73 year old tone deaf lady attempting to do Mickey Mouse's voice. When I first saw the ad I figured the creature sounded so bad because it was going to be eaten by a Godzilla toy or smashed by a Hulk action figure or impaled on that bouncing smiley face's price slashing fencing foil and that'd be the end of "Gingey". Now I can only assume that some suit somewhere in Wal-Mart land thought the "Gingey" voice actually sounded cute (reminded him of his 2 pack a day 73 year old granny) or his nephew Lenny wanted to break into voice acting.
OK, back to your regularly scheduled life, already in progress.

*Why? Because TV ads are a huge part of our pop culture and most of yous have keen interests in and sharp insights into our big pop world.

I thought it was the gingerbread man from Shrek, & they were using him 'cause Shrek II is almost ready for release.

honesty I think "gingy" is the gingerbread man from Shrek, with a Walmart Ritual Vest on.
Hulk smash indeed.

Best line: "EAT ME!"

UPDATE: DOH, FREELANCE YOU STOLE MY WIND!! look at he time stamp. Great minds think alike.

Mo-Holler.

• Unkle John: -one man aspiring to be everyone’s favorite unkle.
  http://www.unklejohn.com

[ Edited by: Unkle John on 2003-11-04 07:42 ]

Hey, it is after all, TV.

If I remember correctly from a general ed communications class, TV is written at about an 8th grade level (and that's 8th grade public, not private school level - 0uch).

I'm glad to hear it's not just me. . . . That "Gingy" ad gives me the creeps. He even beats Snuggle Bear (from Snuggle fabric softener) as most nightmare-inducing TV ad character. I'd place the Arby's oven mitt third.

Here's what I'd say is proof of the "Shrek" connection. This voice-over actor has the ad on the television part of his resume, under Wal-Mart, as "Gingy from Shrek":
http://www.jamesarnoldtaylor.com/resume.html

On 2003-11-04 09:28, Tiki_Bong wrote:
Hey, it is after all, TV.

If I remember correctly from a general ed communications class, TV is written at about an 8th grade level (and that's 8th grade public, not private school level - 0uch).

Bong, I'd be surprised if it's that high; the New York Times is aimed @ a 5th grade reading level, & most TV is aimed @ a demographic with a lower level of education than the New York Times.

On 2003-11-04 09:28, Tiki_Bong wrote:
TV is written at about an 8th grade level (and that's 8th grade public.

Was the Frontline episode I watched last night written for 8th graders? Probably not, but then I watched a bit of Fear Factor, so it all evened out.

Ah, Bong, if there's anything in this world we can all count on, it's lying politicians and a Bong anti-TV comment in every TV-related thread. Helps me sleep at night, it does.
:)

There should be an Anti TVite law in this country. It's just un-american.

Well when I wirite my TV ads or newspaper ads or whatever the heck I do here at work, I don't consciously think 'OK, now have I written at a 5th grade level here? Hmm, too smart and funny, better dumb it down a bit'. Nor does my boss hand me a brief that says 'KEEP IT STUPID, SIMPLE!'

And, as a side note, nor do I have time to hide penises in ice cubes or airbrush the word 'sex' into soda bubbles.

There's no big conspiracy to dumb down the public or titillate the youngsters. But people like to think there is because, well, conspiracy theories are fun!

On 2003-11-04 14:53, tikifish wrote:
And, as a side note, nor do I have time to hide penises in ice cubes or airbrush the word 'sex' into soda bubbles.

YOU DO THAT TOO?! I thought I was alone one that.

This is an interesting website, though I have not gone through it.
Commercial I Hate:
http://www.commercialsihate.com/

You know, at first I thought that Wal-Mart creature-thing was an evil being, like a price-raiser monster, and that it would be killed at the end to show that bad things like that are knocked out at Wal-Mart. How surprised was I when at the end it was a POSItive mascot. I think maybe they need to re-think his image...

On 2003-11-04 14:53, tikifish wrote:

titillate

Huh-Huh, you said Titillate, Huh-Huh

And I'll say it again! Titillate!

May I also say Regina is the capital of Saskatchwan?

My wife and I saw this commercial the other day and she went on a rant about how if Walmart is such a huge company, why can't they produce a decent ad. It took me 5 minutes to calm her down. (Seriously!)

-Z
(a proud owner of NOTHING from walmart, ever)

You know, something else that creeps me out: the name. Gingy does NOT connote gingerbread to me, but rather gingivitis.

Dental floss - Aisle 4?

HA! I thought exactly the same thing!!!

"Hi, Wal-Mart shoppers! I'm Gingey the Giddy Gum Disease! Remember to floss (Aisle 4!) so I don't cause your teeth to loosen and fall out, due to an access of bacteria and plaque adhering to your gum line!"

So what is wrong with shopping at Walmart?

They have cheap prices and quality name brand products. I could care less if the likes of Charles Manson and Crew were pitching diapers for Walmart.

On the other hand, Walmart is contributing to the worsening problem of uninsured worker. Where do the minimum wage Walmart workers go when they need medical care? MediCal (welfare). We the public indirectly subsidize Walmarts cheap labor. They are forcing Ralphs and Vons to compete by cutting benefits, resulting in more workers on MediCal.

If the market forces worked as certain free market dreamers wished the workers would refuse to work at Walmart forcing them to offer benefits to attract workers. FAT CHANCE

Disclaimer: This is intended to be a discussion on economics not politics.

Even though I swore I'd never shop at a Walmart after they tore down my beloved Highway 39 Drive-In (the place where Bong was de-virginized, luckily I didn't miss but 35 seconds of the movie) on Beach Blvd and built a Walmart, I do occasionally go there.

But I also swear they hire nothing but morons there. I guess you get what you pay for...

On 2003-11-05 18:04, jonboy wrote:
On the other hand, Walmart is contributing to the worsening problem of uninsured worker. Where do the minimum wage Walmart workers go when they need medical care? MediCal (welfare). We the public indirectly subsidize Walmarts cheap labor. They are forcing Ralphs and Vons to compete by cutting benefits, resulting in more workers on MediCal.

I think Wal-Mart does offer health benefits for its employees, but the premiums are so high that someone earning minimum wage can't afford them.

Another reason to avoid Wal-Mart:
They don't stock emergency contraception in their pharmacies. In many parts of rural America, Wal-Mart is the only pharmacy in town.

Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed" contains an excellent account of what it's like to work at Wal-Mart. Check it out!

--cindy

So many reasons to avoid walmart...

besides the contraception issue, there's the fact that they'll sell you a gun but NOT a Marilyn Manson CD. (note: I'm neither a gun activist-pro or con, nor am I a Manson fan... I'm just anti-censorship)

I could go on but that would get into BOTH religion AND politics.

-Z

My wife just recieved a wedding invitation from one of HER cousins. They are registered at,, you guessed it, WALMART!!! Think I'll get them a gun.

Don't they also sell edited versions of CD's and movies? OR is that just an urban legend?

On 2003-11-06 09:37, seamus wrote:
Don't they also sell edited versions of CD's and movies? OR is that just an urban legend?

I know Blockbuster carries edited versions of some films, but I don't know about Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart will not sell any CD that has a warning label on it. If you're a band with an explicit album that you want to sell at Wal-Mart, you have to produce a "clean" version.

You know, I really don't understand why a band, or should I now say recording artists since most music seems to have no actual instruments, has to use profanity anyway.

I mean I talk like a sailor at times, but I personally don't need someone screaming "mutha'fuc$&r" at me (except when I'm driving).

There would be about 99.9% less rap/hip hop sonic vibrations if the word "mutha' fuc$*r" didn't exist I believe.

And I know this thread will probably take off on the pro-freedom of speech rhetoric, but from one that's spent the vast majority of his life playing music I just do not understand the need.

Music, to me, is to make one feel good. Something that's pleasant to listen too. Plain and simple, the purpose of profanity is to offend.

And just like people comment about the high prices of homes in Southern California, the market supports those prices. If Walmart wants to have some policy prohibiting the sales of certain items, the market must be supporting their decision.

I really don't like Walmart, since most bulk items I get at Costco (and besides, Costco has a greater hottie-shopper ratio that Walmart). If you don't like something, don't go there!

(imagine this: Martin Denny's new tune "Mutha' Fuc$*ing Quite Village")

Ritual of the Mutha Fu$#ing Savage! Right on, Bong.

Right on Bong!
If "artists" have the right to scream "moth*% fu@#!r" repeatedly into a microphone and then sell that recording in a free market society, then a shop owner, or corporation should have the right to make the decision not to sell that product. Freedom is a two way street. Don't get me wrong, one of my favorite f-ing non-tiki bands is irish band "The Pogues" and they say the f-ing f word quite f-ing often. YOu can't get their CDs al Wallyworld and thats fine by me.

On 2003-11-05 18:04, jonboy wrote:
So what is wrong with shopping at Walmart?

They have cheap prices....

On the other hand, Walmart is contributing to the worsening problem of uninsured worker.

How, exactly, do you think they can afford to have cheap prices? Could it be by not properly insuring their workers? Hmmm...

I heard on NPR yesterday that regular employees are not elegible for health coverage until after 2 years (!) of employment. That's just wrong.

I've worked my ass off most of my life in the construction trades, and I've NEVER had insurance. That's just wrong too.

There has be proposals floated that would mandate insurance for companies with more than 50 employees. In theory that would level the playing field but in reality most compnaies would find ways to operate with 49 employees, or simply sub-contract work out to the low bidder, who would then hire uninusred illegal aliens. Gee, that sounds like Walmart again!!!!

More about the evils of Wal-Mart and how they treat their suppliers:

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/77/walmart.html

Just two random links.

http://www.ubc247.com/related.shtml

http://www.citypages.com/databank/24/1199/article11692.asp

Don't forget Wal-mart's contribution to the ever growing US Trade deficit. They import about $12 billion worth of goods from China, approximately 10% of the U.S. total.